Fluid-actuated clutch.



P. G. MOTT.

FLUID AGTUATED CLUTCH.

APPLICATION IILED 111x24, 1912.

1 ,045,3 1 5., Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. ETsmi.

III-52.33-

7 wue-ntoz vH/naooeo 26 NITED FLUID-ACTUATEID CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1912. Serial No. 679,698.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRED G. Mo'r'r, a cit-izen of the United States,residing at Satsop, in the count of Chehalis and State of Washington,lave invented certain new and useful Improvements in- F luid- ActuatedClutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inclutches of the fluid actuated type and the invention has for itsprimary object a simple, durable and eflicient construction of mechanismof this character which will be found useful and desirable in connectionwith friction driven machinery such as pile drivers, logging engines andthe like.

The invention also has for its object an improved construction of clutchoperating mechanism which. may be easily applied to the shaft of alogging engine, pile driver or similar machine,-whereby, by manipulatingsuitable valves or cooks, the drum of the friction driven machine may beinstantly moved from an inoperative to an operative position by apeculiar and useful arrangement and construction of parts, the fluidmedium being preferably steam, although other fluid may be used if founddesirable. And the invention also aims to generally improve this classof devices and to'render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists essentially in a casingadapted to be secured to the shaft of a friction driven machine, saidcasing embodying separate and distinct cylinders with pistons in bothcylinders, the pistons being connected together by a Wedge which isadapted, in the movement of the pistons in one direction, to act againsta wedge block held in the casing, said block in turn being movedlaterally, whereby through the interposition of suitable elementshereinafter specified, the drum of the friction driven machine will bemoved over and clutched to the shaft upon which it is mounted, themovement of the pistons in the opposite direction permitting the clutchof the drum and its driving part to be dis.- engaged, as for instance,through the instrumentality of a releasing spring. And the inventionalso consists in certain constructions. arrangements and combinations asI shall hereinafter more fully describe and claim.

For a full umlerstanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing in which,

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a fluid actuated clutchoperating device embodying the principles of my invention. F 2 is a sideelevation thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview, the section being taken on the line 3-3, of Fig. 2, and, Fig. 4 isa fragmentary sectional view taken on the lines 44, of Figs. 1 and 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and designated in the accompanying drawings by likereference characters.

, My invention includes a casing which may be of any desiredconstruction and which embodies separate and distinct cylinders 1 and 2disposed in longitudinal alinement with each other, said cylinders beingpreferably connected and reinforced by webs 3 and 4 that are encircledby an integral cylindrical rim 5.

A piston 6 is mounted to reciprocate in the cylinder 1 and acorresponding piston 7 is mounted in the cylinder 2. These pistons 6 and7 are, respectively, connected to the ends 8 of a connecting rod, theintermediate portion of which is constituted by a wedge 9 mounted forlongitudinal movement in an opening 10 which is formed in the divisionwall 11 whichseparates one cylinder from the other. The division wall 11is also formed with a side opening 12 which intersects the opening 10and which is designed to receive the wedge block 13, the oblique faceofwhich is opposed to the oblique face of the intermediate wedgeshapedportion 9 of the piston connecting member, said wedge faces beingdesigned to contact with each other. The outer face of the wedge block13 is adapted to bear against the inner end of a pin 14, said pinprojecting into the adjoining end of the drum shaft 15 and movablelongitudinally therein against a key 16 which is mounted forlongitudinal movement in a slot- 17 eX- tending transversely through theshaft, the ends of the key 16 bearing against the adjoining face of thedrum 18 which is mounted loose on the shaft. The opposite face PatentedNov. 26, 1912.

of the drum 18 is formed with an annular groove 19, preferablyWedge-shape in cross section, said groove being designed to receive atapered annular clutch'ring which is secured to one side of a gear wheel21 secured on the shaft- 15.

From as much of the description as has preceded, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be understood that when the pistons 6 and7 are moved in one direction, that is, downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1,the engagci'nent of the wedge 9 with the wedge block 13 will cause thelatter to more outwardly in its opening 12 and to press against the pin14, which latter, by engaging the key 16, will cause said key to movethe drum 1.8 to the right so as to effect the secure engagement of theclutch members 19 and 20 and thereby clutch the drum to the gear 20 andto the shaft 15. Upon the moving of the pistons 6 and 7 in the oppositedirection, the springs 22 that are interposed between the gear wheel 21and the drum 18, will be permitted to act so as to disengage the clutchmembers from each 0th? and thereby release the drum from the sha t.

In order to effect the movements of the pistons 6 and 7, the casing isformed at one side with an inlet opening 23 which leads into a passage24, the inner end of said passage 24 communicating with a passage 25extending throughv the web 4 to the outer end of the cylinder 1. Withinthe opening 23, is a pipe or tube 26 which leads into a passage 27extending around the casing and thence downwardly, as at 28, into theouter or lower end of the cylinder 2. It will thus be understood that bymanipulating suitable valves or controlling cocks (the same beingomitted from the illustration as they, in themselves, form no part of mypresent invention), the steam or other fluid may be admitted into eitherof the cylinders 1 or 2 and permitted to exhaust from the other, therebyeflecting the movement of the pistons in one direction or the reverse soas to carry out the operation hereinafter specified. Preferably, Iprovide buffer springs 11 at the bottom of the cylinders, as bestillustrated in Fig. 2.

It is to be understood that while I have shown my invention as appliedto a particular form of friction driven drum and driving device thereforand to a particular form of clutch mechanism, the invention is notlimited thereto, as the parts just named are selected for the purpose ofillustration only. It will also be understood that the invention is notlimited to the construction, arrangement. or proportions of the partsshown, as various changes may be made without dedefined in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is 1. A device of the character described, in-

eluding longitudinally alined cylinders, pistons mounted in therespective cylinders, a wedge-shaped connection between said pistons, alaterally movable block mounted in the casing and adapted to be movedoutwardly therein by the engagement of the wedge-shaped connection, andmeans for conducting fluid to said pistons.

2. A device of the character described, including separate cylindershaving an opening establishing communication between them, pistons. inthe respective cylinders, a wedge-shaped connection movable in saidopening and secured to the respective pistons, the casing being formedwith a lateral opening communicating with the first named opening, ablock mounted in the lateral opening and adapted to be engaged by thewedge-shaped piston connection, and means for conducting fluid to saidpistons.

3. A device of the character described, including longitudinally alinedcylinders with a division wall between them, said division wall beingformed with an opening establishing communication between the cylindersand also with a lateral opening, pistons mounted in the respectivecylinders, means for conducting motive fluid to said pistons, a blockmounted in the lateral opening of the division wall, a pin against whichthe outer face of said block is adapted to bear, a support for said pin,and a wedge-shaped connection between said pistons movable in the firstnamed opening in the division wall and bearing against said block.

4. A device of the character described, including cylinders arranged inlongitudinal alinement with each other with a division wall between,said cylinders having web connections and the division wall being formedwith an opening establishing communication between the cylinders andalso with a lateral opening, pistons mounted in the respectivecylinders, a block mounted in the lateral opening of the division wall.and a wedge-shaped connection between said pistons movable in the firstnamed opening in the division wall, the cylinders being formed withdistinct fluid inlet and outlet passages leading to the outer ends ofthe cylinders for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atfix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

FRED G. MOTT.

VVit-nesses i J. L. NICHOLSON, M. P. GLANov.

